Comment below, which major and college would you love to discover next?

What is Agora?

Well nigh two decades ago, after fourteen years of fruitless attempts, during a charming and frozen winter evening when adults were rushing home to their beloved ones and clocks hurrying up the fifty-two hours till the next year—and when Phill O'Donnell, a player for Scottish football team Motherwell F.C, tragically collapses on the pitch, whilst last minutes of winning the premier league, and dies merely entering the bunk from supersonic ambulance causing the whole continent to vigil—a hope arises. A dead hope.

An unlived figure above which a tall and handsome man with an astonishing mustache was wiping tears out of the gorgeous and desperate lady's face surrounded by all-up people in medical robes, and they all were not ready for another tragic drama the same day. As in Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, the miracle happens, and the only doctor who didn't surrender hope to the grim reaper gives the breath of life to the now functioning body. "Welcome, Umarjon!" was one of the first phrases the hope heard out there, in the world.

Hello, my name is Umarjon and I'm that hope. By the way, we must turn off the dramatic tone here. You might be wondering, why hope? Simply because I was the only chance for my family to end up in a good house, with a refrigerator full of meals, and happiness bouncing from the walls. And since the very beginning, I was grinding my butt off to accomplish the mission I was given to carry on, which was initially my brother's; however, he ended up failing, but, at least, now with his own family, he sparked the second chance somewhere within himself.

Now, about the TOP100UNI camp. Do you remember Shaxriyor? He visited the camp two years ago, and recently he had a chance to talk with our president. I saw him while surfing the internet. Simultaneously, I suddenly remembered when my dad told me, "If I could ever present my business idea to our president, not to the lower strata, we would be fine". Therefore, inspired by this young man, I decided to apply to the TOP100UNI camp with the thought that maybe I will be able to walk this wonderful path as well, in order to get this chance for my father. Not solely this, I saw plenty of friends of mine in the mentors' roster, which was an additional push for me.

Have you ever listened to "Birds of a Feather"? Billie Eilish is at her ever peak now as well as Cicero was in his golden years between 106 BC and 43 BC. For many Gen Z listeners, Billie is more than a singer—she's a symbol of their identity, much like Kurt Cobain was for Gen X or Lady Gaga for some Millennials.

Many fans feel that Billie understands their emotions, particularly around topics like anxiety, depression, identity, and isolation. “She sings what I feel but can't say.” – a typical sentiment from a fan. Doesn't this pattern seem familiar to you? It does for me.

She seems to have the shadow of a philosopher: she spreads her thoughts through orations, she is the one followed by the public, and she is the one to be listened to when citizens feel lost. Cicero wasn't mentioned accidentally, though. They have something in common—both, Cicero and Billie, used the phrase "Birds of a feather": Cicero in his dialogue form essay On Old Age and Billie as a title for her well-known single. They both used it in their philosophical works, but the difference is crucial.

Cicero lived in a world of great thinkers when Socrates taught Plato who taught his student named Aristotle. Cicero, among thousands of others, discussed their ideas, and they were the first to implement those ideas as well. The Roman Empire, for example, was fundamentally dependent on those ideas. However, one idea, in particular, had shone bright like a diamond: justice. Justice was the fundament of the greatest powers ever.

Now, thinking of people in this period gives me goosebumps. They propagandized healthy lifestyles, religions, and, most importantly, rational thinking, which, instead of being developed further, mysteriously disappeared. If I ever wanted to be surrounded by people from any date just for a day, it would definitely be within 106 BC - 43 BC. I would sponge as much knowledge as possible to resurrect the will of people, which, sadly, seems to have been lost.

Choosing the university to spend roughly 1/18 of your whole life is a tough decision. For me, the ideal university is neither the QS Ranking spot, Ivy League status, nor its academic excellence, but the perspective of me developing personally and professionally here. To pick the suitable universities that match my flow, I had to do deep and analytical research on myself before even considering adding one to a roster of Common App. My philosophy is extraordinarily foolproof: "Choose a university not just for its name, but for the doors it will open within you, not just around you". After putting my ducks in a row, I have identified five universities I truly hope to be accepted into: [the following info is personal and therefore we cannot publicize it]...

Academic excellence and Physical development — would be the answer of modern youngsters to a question: What achievements define a successful individual in today’s world? How delusional, isn't it? How could we forget for what Socrates devoted his entire life and what is cultivated in no school, tested in no exam, but defines your life's path? At the end of the day, we, the human race, were not brought here for money or parroting Ronnie Coleman. Everyone forgot about our spiritual world, just as I did.

I enrolled in Agora classes due to my lifelong weakness. I never could “change the world by picking my pen up and writing”. I remember shamelessly losing so many bright thoughts throughout the day and regretting the words spoken out of my regretful mouth. It always seemed to me that I speak π language: all the time when I wanted to express a thought, only 3.14 could escape my mind, leaving the endless bunting of remaining symbols behind. The same thing with writing.

At the end, as an alumnus, I can confidently say: Agora gave me the path and bait on it. The path eventually leads to my desires. Ultimately, in my particular case, one of the quotes I heard during the class describes it all — "Learn to be smart, not appear smart". Agora taught me how to build my own path, style, and vision, yet so distant, but still important. I want to thank our speaker, Mr.Husan, especially for guiding our "sloppy" dedication through those 2 months of constant growth.